Ash retainer and spark arrester for cigarette holders



Sept. 1, 1925 T. S. TODD ASH RETAINER AND SPARK ARRESTER FOR CIGARETTEHOLDERS F'iled Jan. 14, 1924 INVENTOR. f/z077/a5 J JocZd,

A TTORNE Y.

Patented Sept. 1, 1925.

UNITED STATES 'rnouas'sunvnn TODD, or me amen, camromna. v

, ASH RETAINER AND SPARK ARBESTEB FOB CIGARETTE HOLDERS.

Applicationflled January 14, 1924. Serial No. 885,988.

To all whom it mag concern:

Be it known t at I, THOMAS SURVAN Tom), a citizen of the United States,residing at Long Beach, in the county of Los Angeles and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful Improvements 1n Ash Retainersand Spark Arresters for CigaretteHolders, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates more specifically to a protective device designedto be applied to the end of a cigarette holder of usual form to protectthe user from falling sparks or ashes.

A main object of this inventlon 15 to provide a foraminous ash retainerand spark arresting device designed to be attached to a cigarette holderof usual form to prevent the fall of ashes and sparks from the cigar orcigarette as the same is consumed.

Another and equally important ob ect is to provide a device providedwithmeans for effectually extinguishing a lighted c garette enclosed by saiddevice when the cigarette has practically been consumed. a

A further object is to provide an ash holder and spark arresting devicewhich Wlll not become unduly heatedduring the consumption of thecigarette by a smoker.

A still further object is to provide a device which may be easilymanipulated to insert a cigarette in or to remove the same from theholder secured to saiddevice.

In the accompanying draw ngs, I have illustrated a preferred embodimentof my invention, it being understood, however, that no limitation isnecessarily made to the precise structural details therein exhibited butvarious changes, alterations, and modifications may be resorted towithin the scope of my invention when desired.

The above and other objects are accomplished by means of the devicedescribed herein and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the device attached to a cigarette holder ofusual form.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the dev ce w1th the enclosing members in aclosed os 1t1on.

Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the evlcewith the enclosing members in anopen pos1t1on, a ci arette being mounted in the holder.

F1 4 is a longitudinal section through the evice taken on line 4-4 ofFig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a. lan view of the device with one of the one osingmembersremoved.

Fig. 6 is an enlar ed cross sectional view taken on line 6-6 0 Fig. 4,illustrating the means formed .on the device for extinguishing the fireof the cigarette. Flg. 7 is an enlarged detail view of the inner end ofone of the enclosing members having the finger pieces formed thereon,showing the coiled jaw actuating spring.

Referring now more specificall to the drawings which illustrate an emboiment of the invention, 5 designates acigarette holder of usual form, tothe outer end of which is secured the ash holder and spark arrestingdevice 6. This device preferably consists of two elongated cigaretteenclosing mem bers 7, 8, semicircular in cross section, each havingforaminous longitudinally extending walls 9, and like outer end walls10, the walls being secured to the inner surfaces of stamped metalframes 11 of skeleton form. The adjacent inner ends of members 7, 8,

are each provided with an operating finger' piece or tongue 12, 13, thetongues being pivotally mounted on pins 14, 15, which pass through ears16, 17, formed midway the length of the tongue, and engage the adjacentend 18, 19', of segmental bearing members 20, 21, ri idly secured to theouter end of the holder y a pin 22 that extends transverselytherethrough. The enclosing members are normally maintained in a closedposition as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 by means of coiled springs 24, 25,mounted on the pivot pins 14, 15, the springs being coiled therearoundso as to form a loop 26 which extends under the fin or pieces or tonguesas best shown in Fig. of the drawings. One of the semi-circular endwalls of the enclosing members has affixed to its inner surface a wireframe 28 extending in semi-circular form beyond the edge 29' of thewall, and engaging the end wall of the opposite jaw when the two membersare in register with each other as shown in Fig. 4., thereby preventingany lateral movement of the jaws when closed. The frame of eachenclosing member is provided with a centrally disposed longitudinallyextending rib 30, 31, and afiixed in any suitable manner to theoppositely disposed rib surfaces are a plurality of pins 32, whose endsengage the surface of the cigarette 33 to maintam the same inlongitudinal alinement with the holder. The longitudinally extendingedges 34, 35, of each frame are also provided with inwardly extendingtongues 36, which perform the same function as the pins 32. Bymaintaining the cigarette in alinement W1th the holder, and away fromthe frame and foraminouswalls of the enclosing members, no undue heatingof the same will occur during the combustion of tln cigarette.

Transversely secured to the inner surfaces of each frame 11 of theenclosing members, and adjacent their inner ends, are a pair of flatoppositely disposed jaws 37, 38, best shown in Figs. 4 and 6, theirouter edges being cut away to form a substantially elliptical opening39. therebetween when the enclosing members are in their normalposition. lVhen a cigarette is placed in the holder 5, the enclosingjaws are forced apart by means of the finger pieces, and on a closure ofthe same the jaws 37, 38, will firmly pinch the oppositely disposedsides-of the cigarette together, as clearly shown in Fig. 6. While thetobacco in the cigarette at its pinched portion is packed togetherslightly tighter than the remainder of the tobacco above and below thepinched portion, no difficulty will, be experienced in maintaining aperfect draft while the cigarette is being consumed, but as soon as thefire of the cigarette reaches the pinched portion the burning cigarettewill be extinguished within a comparatively short time if the holder-islaid aside, the packed tobacco preventing free combustion.

From the above description it will be at once apparent that I haveprovided a device that will effectually prevent ashes from falling on aconsumers clothing, and also eliminate all danger of flying sparks,especially when the consumer is riding in a vehicle. Further, by meansof the transversely disposed jaw members, the cigarette will be quicklyextinguished if laid aside.

By providing means on the inside surfaces of the cigarette enclosingmembers, comparatively little heat will be transmitted to the metalwalls of the device during the combustion of the cigarette, thisadvantage being deemed of great importance.

\Vhat I claim is 1. A device of the class described, comprising acigarette holder, a pair of complemental members semi-cylindrical inform having foraminous walls pivotally secured to said holder, and meansformed on each of said members for extinguishing the light of a burningcigarette when the same has been partially consumed.

2. A device of the character described, comprising a cigarette holder, apair of complemental members pivotally secured thereto, and a, cigarettegripping member secured to each of said complemental mem bers, saidgripping members being oppositely disposed, whereby When the firereaches the gripping members the same will be extinguished in acomparatively short time if the smoker ceases to support combustion.

3. A device of the class described, comprising a cigarette holder, apair of complemental semi-cylindrical members having foraminous wallseach ivotally secured to said holder adjacent the end thereof, resilientmeans secured to each member for normally holding said members incontact with each other, and means formed on each member for forcing themembers apart against the action of the resilient means when it isdesired to insert or withdraw a cigarette from said holder.

4.. A device of the class described, comprising a cigarette holder, apair of complemental spring closing semi-cylindrical coniplementalmember having foraminous walls pivotally secured to said holder, and atransversely disposed semi-circular cigarette gripping member secured toeach complemental member, said gripping members being oppositelydisposed and their free edges being cut away to permit the closure ofsaid con'iplemental members after the insertion of a cigarette in saidholder, whereby when the cigarette ha been consumed down to saidgripping members its fire will be automatically extinguished ifcombustion is not supported.

In witness that Iclaim the foregoing I have hereunto subscribed my namethis 30th day of December, 1923.

THOMAS SURVAN TODD.

